Red Deer Titans Rugby Football Club

Titans Win 3 Out Of 3 For The Weekend Including Rare Win Over Calgary Irish 1sts

Red Deer Titans did something they have never done - beat the Calgary Irish 1st. Div. Men. Saturday's match at Titans Rugby Park was played under perfect conditions. Pitch, temperature, wind, crowd - everything came together for the Titans 1st. Div. Men as they defeated the Calgary Irish 40 - 30 in a critical match for the local team. Coach Rob Manson's prediction came true when he stated after the first league game defeat 46 -5 to the Calgary Irish that Red Deer would beat that team later in the season.

Starting tentatively the Titans found themselves behind 10-0 at ten minutes into the match. Jon Mauro got the Titans back in the match with a try at the 18 min. mark where he bounced off tackles like a pinball wizard and carried a tackler across the line to make the score 10 -5. Resting on their laurels the Titans knocked on the kickoff and two phases and 30 seconds later they were trailing 17 -5. Penalties hurt the local club when the Irish kicker slotted a 40 m. kick to stretch the lead to 20 - 5 at twenty minutes. The next score was critical. At the 33 min. mark Titans' number 8, Wade Moore, playing one of his finest matches for Red Deer, made a break and popped an offload to Jon Mauro for his second try. Moore converted and the locals trailed 20 -12 at the half.

The feeling of confidence was evident as the Titans started the second half like a house on fire driving to inside the Irish 5 m. line. A long lineout throw went awry and the Irish cleared with a kick that reached touch on the bounce about 15 m. from the Titans line - an 80 m. field position turnaround. A penalty allowed the Irish kicker, who was 6 for 6 on the day, to nail another goal to give the Irish a 23 - 12 lead.

But the Red Deer squad, under the direction of captain, Dan Meikle, kept their composure and rallied to put together one of the best team tries of the season moving the ball wide to wing Kyle Kaus, who had a cracker of a game, where he moved the ball inside and Andy Peters scored under the posts. Moore converted and the Irish lead 23 - 19.

At that point momentum shifted clearly and the Titans went on the attack. Winger Colin Viens made a fine inside move and burst through to the Irish ten metre line where Mauro scored his third try of the match collecting the pass to dive across the line. With the conversion, the local team lead 26 - 23 and the crowd was on their feet.

Once again, Wade Moore made a break after tremendous team play and slid a nice pass to Dave Hardy, who had come on the pitch at the 47 min. to find nothing but green grass between him and the line 20 m. away. Moore converted and the Titans stretched their lead to 33 - 23. The try was especially remarkable because just a minute before captain Dan Meikle had received a ten minute sin bin.

The Irish pressed with renewed desperation and finally were rewarded with a converted try to cut the lead to 33- 30 with eight minutes left. With Meikel reinstated, the Titans went on the attack again and this time flyhalf, Dion Clifford, finished a series of phases by slicing through the line on a clever dummy pass to score beneath the posts clinching the victory with Moore's fifth conversion.

The Titans improved their record to 9 - 4 while the Irish fell to 10 - 3 losing their last two matches. The Titans finish their regular season next Saturday in Ellerslie where they play the last place Edmonton Lep/Tigers at Ellerslie. August 25 will see the Titans host the first game of the sudden death playoffs. Their opponent will likely be the Edmonton Clansmen.

Scoring Summary:
Jon Mauro 3 tries, single tries: Andy Peters, Dave Hardy, Dion Clifford. Conversions: Wade Moore - 5.

Titans Senior Women Improve
to 11 - 0

Travelling to Banff did not slow the Titans Senior Women much as they scored a 28 - 0 victory over the second place Banff Women. Anita LaRose was perfect on all four conversions on tries by Dayle Clampitt, Chelsey Clifford, Kate Woods and Ursula Patterson. The ladies are well on their way to the second undefeated season and championship.

Titans Third Div. Men Clinch Playoff Position

The Titans 3rds are putting together an excellent late season surge as they won their second in a row, 22 -10 over the Calgary Saracens to improve their record to 5 - 6 and clinch a playoff spot in the Calgary Mens' Third Division standings. Try scorers for Red Deer were Lonnie Amundson, Daryl Brown and Greg Hitchcock. Hitchcock also added two conversions and a penalty goal for a 12 point day.